Attorney Ron Heller at Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law recently represented a client in a Hawaii Supreme Court case involving a real property tax dispute. According to the court document, the dispute revolved around one central issue: whether or not counties in Hawaii have the power to define, or re-define, what constitutes "real...
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John Knorek will be speaking at Labor Laws and Security Guards Seminar - February 20, 2020
Have you ever wondered if annual raises are mandatory or what steps the Board of Directors takes to monitor the performance of employees? Attorney John Knorek at Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law will be answering these questions at the Labor Laws and Security Guards seminar on February 20, 2020. He will review...
Read MoreWebinar: Impact on Employer Handbook Policies and Strategies to Remain Union Free - February 6th, 2020 with John Knorek
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ushered in the new year by issuing employer-friendly decisions and rules that primarily impact unionized employers. These include: Cutting off dues deductions after an agreement is terminated Clarifying when an employer may take unilateral action Other decisions made by the NLRB, however, affect nonunion employers as well. This may encourage employers to revise...
Read MoreKey Recent NLRB Decisions January 2020
Apogee Retail LLC, 368 NLRB No. 144 (Dec. 16, 2019) The Board overruled Banner Estrella Medical Center, holding that blanket rules requiring confidentiality during open investigations are presumptively lawful. The Banner Estrella decision had required a legitimate and substantial business justification for investigative confidentiality rules, placing the burden on the employer to show on a...
Read MoreKey Recent NLRB Decisions September/October 2019
LA Specialty Produce Co., 368 NLRB No. 93 (Oct. 10, 2019) The decision confirms an employer may prohibit employees from disclosing client/vendor lists and that the Board generally categorizes rules that prohibit the disclosure of confidential and proprietary customer and vendor lists as Category 1(a) rules under Boeing. The decision also confirms an employer may...
Read MoreUniversity of Hawaii Names Torkildson Director Newton Chu Co-Chair of Search Advisory Committee
The Search Advisory Committee at the University of Hawaiʻi has been selected and is currently searching for the next director of the Institute for Astronomy to be named and/or in place by fall 2020. Newton J. Chu, Director of the Hawaii Island office for Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law, was named co-chair of...
Read MoreKey Recent NLRB Decisions
Electrolux Home Prods., Inc., 368 NLRB No. 34 (Aug. 2, 2019) The employer did not violate Sections 8(a)(3) and (1) by discharging an employee union activist even though the employer’s justification for terminating her was a made-up excuse. The NLRB General Counsel failed to carry his burden of demonstrating the employee’s union activity was a...
Read MoreEmployment Law Developments to be Discussed at Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Seminar on August 27
Employment law is often changing and complex. It’s critical that employers stay up to date on new legal developments in order to avoid liability. 26th Annual Employment Law Seminar Attorneys from Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris Knorek will present new information on employment law developments, as well as often-overlooked human resource trends. The event takes place...
Read MoreKey NLRB Decisions January 14-25, 2019
Tegna, Inc. d/b/a KGW-TV, 367 NLRB No. 71 (Jan. 17, 2019) The employer, a broadcast television station, violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) by failing and refusing to provide certain information related to its market share, ratings, and indicia of viewership; reports, analyses, data, or other documents concerning competition from other media outlets, in Portland and...
Read MoreKey NLRB Decisions January 1-11, 2019
Johnston Fire Svcs., LLC, 367 NLRB No. 49 (Jan. 3, 2019) Under the Bourne test, the employer did not unlawfully interrogate an employee during a discharge interview. The company owner did not interfere with, restrain, or coerce the employee in the exercise of his Section 7 rights because only one of the five Bourne factors...
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